Emergency Closure/Remote Learning
In case of whole school emergency closure
If we decide to close the whole school in an emergency (eg snow, COVID-19), a notification will be placed on the BCC (Buckinghamshire Council) School Closures webpage. If the closure happens whilst children are at school, we will text parents/carers. Please do not phone school to check unless you need to inform us of alternative collection arrangements.
BCC (Buckinghamshire Council) School Closures webpage: https://closures.buckscc.gov.uk/
In case of partial school emergency closure
If we decide to close a class/bubble the parents/carers will be contacted by text message. If the children are in school, please collect you children immediately. If your child is not in school, please do not bring them in until advised to do so.
Please ensure you keep the school updated with any contact detail changes especially mobile phone numbers.
Remote Learning
This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education if we are required to conduct learning online.
The Remote Curriculum: What is taught to pupils at home
The first day or two of being educated remotely might look a little different from our standard approach, whilst we put in place necessary actions for a longer period of remote learning.
What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?
Your child may be sent home with work to complete on paper or will find initial tasks set on the google Classroom for their class.
Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?
We aim to teach broadly the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever it is possible and appropriate. However, we may need to make some adaptations in some subjects for example in Music, Art, Design and Technology, as well as PE, depending on the activity and access your child may have to resources.
How long can I expect the work set by the school to take my child each day?
We expect that remote education (including teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the number of hours set out below each day. However, we are very aware that this amount of time will vary for each pupil, depending on their maturity and engagement, and is a general guide for us to provide a relevant amount of learning for your child as well as a guide for you to know what is the general expectation.
Reception (4-5 years old) 2 hours
Year 1 (5-6 years old) 3 hours
Year 2 (6-7 years old) 3 hours
Year 3 (7-8 years old) 4 hours
Year 4 (8-9 years old) 4 hours
Year 5 (9-10 years old) 4 hours
Year 6 (10-11 years old) 4 hours
Please remember that this can be split into chunks of learning and that children may want breaks to exercise and to move away from their device for a short while before re-focusing.
If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?
We recognise that some pupils may not have suitable online access at home and will support learning for these children in different ways. In the first instance, please do contact the school office (admin@stone.bucks.sch.uk) as soon as possible so that we can support you quickly.
- we will print off lesson activities for the week if these are required and completed work can photographed on a mobile phone and submitted if necessary
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely
- live sessions with the class teacher each day
- recorded teaching
- printed paper packs produced by teachers where required
- commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects (eg Timetables Rock Stars, Reading Eggs, Sumdog, Numbots etc
What are your expectations for my child's engagement an the support we as parents and carers should provide at home?
- your child will be expected to attend the live registration and the live sessions
- your child will be expected to attempt to complete the learning tasks set. If they are having difficulty they or you as a parent can contact the teacher by google classroom or the normal class email to request support or clarification and the teacher will respond as promptly as possible during school hours
- if they are stuck, let them attempt to resolve the problem themselves at first (age dependent) and then perhaps help them call a friend for support, then help them if they cannot resolve their problem. Please do not complete their learning for them. It is still important for teachers to understand where children are having difficulties with concepts and may need some teacher direction in follow up sessions.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are any concerns?
- class teachers will be marking the register each day and if your child is not on the live registration a follow-up call from the school office will be made to check if there are any problems or illness that day
- during the day your child's work will be looked at by the classroom staff. Any work that is submitted after the end of the school day may not be acknowledged until the next day
- If there seems to be a problem with engagement either during the live sessions or with the independent learning, we will contact you to discuss how we can all support your child
How will you assess my child's work and progress?
Feedback can take many forms and may not always mean extensive written comments for individual children. For example, whole class feedback or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are also valid and effective methods , amongst many others. Our approaches to feedback on pupils works may consist of the following:
- individual comments on a piece of work to support further learning or misconceptions
- a comment of acknowledgement eg well done, if appropriate
- comments and feedback to the whole class with clarification during the live sessions
- feedback will not always be given for every piece of work but where appropriate and will take the learning forward
Additional Support for children with particular needs
How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults to access remote education?
We recognise that some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families and we will work with parents and carers to support pupils in the following ways:
- our SENDCo will work closely with the class teacher and support staff to design a programme personalised learning for your child or to adapt the class learning to make it accessible for your child's needs eg learning packs and activities
- staff will be available by email or phone to discuss supporting you and your child in their remote learning
- 1:1 sessions online where appropriate to support pupil's targets
Links to Online Platforms:
